Piccolo, the Poet?
by Invader Skrabb
Summary: Piccolo comes across a book of poetry, but will everyone else make fun of him? Reads better than I describe it, trust me. Fluffy-friendshipness involved. R and R, please!


"_Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,  
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,  
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,  
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.  
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -  
Only this, and nothing more."_

Piccolo grasped the leather bound book in his clawed hands, unsure of what to think of the contents. The book, or at least, the verse-things within the book, was written by an earth-man named Edgar Allan Poe. It had been the first book the Namekian had picked off of Gohan's extensive book shelf. The collection there was impressive; the shelves filled nearly a whole wall. _Probably Chichi's influence, _he thought.

Piccolo glanced at the open door of Gohan's room behind him. Well, he didn't seem to be coming back any time soon. Intrigued by the verse-things in the book he held, he sat down on the bed and continued to read. A few verse's later it read:

"_Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,  
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;  
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,  
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,  
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -  
Darkness there, and nothing more."_

Poor Piccolo had never had the privilege of coming across anything like poetry before. But, as he read on, he figured that he quite liked it. Although, he'd never admit it out loud.

"Watcha reading, Piccolo?" came Gohan's chirpy voice, and the Namekian jumped.

"Uh-! Nothing. Just, a book I found on the shelf," Piccolo said, hiding it from the teenager's view.

Gohan laughed, put his hands on the Namekian's shoulders and leaned over to snatch the book from Piccolo's claws.

"_The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe_, huh? I didn't know you liked poetry," Gohan smiled knowingly down at his mentor.

Piccolo scowled back, and stood up so quickly that Gohan's hand slipped and he tumbled awkwardly on to the floor.

"Ow!" Gohan complained, although Piccolo knew it didn't actually hurt.

He took the book from off the floor and said, "I didn't know that you call it poetry. I just picked it off of your shelf. I have no interest in it."

Gohan chuckled, standing up, adjusting his glasses, "C'mon Piccolo, I know you. You can keep it, if you want. I don't read it anymore."  
Piccolo blushed, looked down at the book in his hands, "It's written in a different way than humans normally speak. It sounds far more formal."

"Yeah! The one you're reading there, _The Raven_, that was written in like 1845."

Piccolo shoved the book in his blue sash, "Well, thank you. I'll return it soon."

Gohan grinned, gave Piccolo a friendly punch on the shoulder, "My mentor's a poet! Imagine that. The great demon, Piccolo Junior, reading lovey-dovey poetry!"

Piccolo glanced at the blurb, "It says he writes _gothic_ poetry. Gothic equals darkness and demons. Therefore, in your face."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Yet, you still don't want anyone to know your reading it."

_That damn kid knows me too well,_ he thought bitterly.

"...Yeah." Piccolo grunted, "Anyway, we should get back to our training session."

Gohan suddenly blanched, and Piccolo tipped his head to the side, "What?"

The saiyan scratched the back of his head with a hand in embarrassment, "Well... actually... I kinda have a date."

Piccolo blinked, "A date?"

"Yeah. And, I promised I'd be there. Like, in twenty minutes."

Piccolo sighed, "Gohan..."

"I know, I know, training's important. But I'm already going, so... yeah. And I really wanna be there. And hey, you could use that free time to read that book."

Piccolo crossed his arms and said sternly, "Fine. Go on your date. But we're gonna train twice as long next time."

Piccolo knew Gohan didn't share the same passion for fighting as himself or Goku, and he could respect that, but with the World Tournament merely two months away, training was important.

"Piccol-_o_-o!" Gohan whined in protest.

"Don't _Piccolo_ me. I'll be leaving now," the Namekian made his way to the door, but Gohan tugged his white cape.

"You don't _have_ to go, y'know. I'm sure mom and dad wouldn't mind if you just stayed in my room for a few hours."  
"I scare the shit out of your mother."

"Not so much _anymore_! It's freezing outside Piccolo. Just stay for the night. Then you can go and brood somewhere else."

"I do not _brood_. I just _look_ broody when I'm thinking."

Gohan looked at his watch, and cursed, "Crap! I'm gonna be late. Later, Piccolo!"

He turned and bolted from the room, only to poke his head back through the doorway and grin, "By the way, her name is Videl!"

* * *

Goku quietly tip toed up to Gohan's room, where he said Piccolo would be staying. Gohan apparently was staying at the Kame-house. Said something about wanting to "study alone" for a while, after his date with Videl. Goku couldn't understand why you would want to study after coming home from a date. _Maybe Chichi had threatened him or something, haha..._

Goku, oh so sneakily, peered in to Gohan's bedroom. He could see Piccolo there, lying on the bed, not under the covers. His cape and turban looked like they'd been carelessly thrown to the other side of the room. He snuck inside, part of his scared of the consequences of waking up a demon, and the other curious as to what Piccolo looked like when he slept.

He had a hand on his chest, underneath which was a brown, leather bound book. It rose and fell ever so slowly with the Namekian's slow breathing. His face was relaxed, peaceful. Maybe even content. He snored lightly. Goku recalled when he defeated Piccolo, years and years ago, and Master Roshi's words when he was looking at the unconscious demon.

_Strange. They never look psychotic when they're sleeping._

Goku suppressed a little chuckle. How times had changed. Piccolo, Ma Junior, once Goku's greatest enemy, were now great friends, and he was an even better friend to Gohan. Ever since he was a little kid. If he was alive at the time, Goku would _never_ have trusted Piccolo to look after and train his first four year old son. Even Krillin had thought that he'd just wanted to eat him. Goku found himself smiling in amusement.

Then, with great care, Goku held his breathe as he slid the book from beneath Piccolo's clawed hand. His heart stopped when he heard the light snoring stop, but after a second, Piccolo's sleeping form shifted on to his side and the snoring started again. The frightened but relieve saiyan promptly turned and tip toed back out.

He opened it when he was safely downstairs, and burst in to laughter.

"P-poetry?!" he cried, "Piccolo's reading _poetry_?!"

* * *

**No doubt I'll be updating this tomorrow, but right now it's nearly six in the morning and I haven't slept SO I need to stop bringing my laptop in to my room every night this is getting worse. Ok, review please! BYE!**


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